Infectious Diseases: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) causes antibiotic associated diarrhea and pseudomemberous colitis, mostly in the elderly and in hospitalized patients. The main cause of pathology is colonic expression of two large glucosylating toxins, TcdA and TcdB. Research in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Global Health aims to understand the mechanisms of toxin-mediated inflammation and to investigate the role of each toxin in the pathogenesis of C. difficile-associated diseases. The Department is developing CDI models in the gnotobiotic pig model transplanted with the human microbiome and generating recombinant CDI vaccines. In addition, we are evaluating antimicrobial agents and immune-based therapies, including the Merck human monoclonal antibodies and hyperimmune bovine colostrum, to treat and/or prevent CDI disease. Finally, we are developing recombinant antitoxin therapies for the treatment of CDI using our technology which is described in more detail on the Recombinant Antitoxins page.

Research in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Global Health aims to understand the mechanisms of toxin-mediated inflammation and to investigate the role of each toxin in the pathogenesis of C. difficile-associated diseases.

Featured Faculty

Florina Tseng, DVM, wears many hats. A celebrated expert in wildlife medicine, Dr. Tseng serves as an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health. She’s also on the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University admissions committee, serves as the Director of the Tufts Wildlife Clinic, and […]

Research Assistant Professor & Director of Master’s in Conservation Medicine Program, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University & Research Associate, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute I joined Cummings School faculty in 2013 as a research assistant professor and Director of the MS in Conservation Medicine Program (MCM). I also assist with the RESPOND project, serve […]

Student Profiles

I’m a doctoral research trainee/graduate student at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine involved in a unique cooperative veterinary anatomic pathology residency training/PhD program funded by Biogen Idec (Cambridge, MA) under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Dunstan, distinguished investigator at Biogen-Idec and an adjunct faculty of Cummings School. I intend on pursuing a career in experimental […]

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